Sunday, February 1, 2009

Tailor: Friend or Foe?

K's comment to my Size Doesn't Matter post brings up yet another valuable topic in the world of clothing and you: the tailor. I, myself, didn't truly understand the many amazing talents of the tailor until a few years ago. I often have to go a size up in tops to fit a broad back and chest, but then my mid-section is swimming in fabric. Typically I would just accept that, buy the bigger shirt and leave it hanging in my closet with the tags on. But then, I branched out and took one to the tailor...I was hooked! The shirt came out perfectly and I looked fantastic!

Here's the thing--clothes are not made to fit every body. In fact, rarely are they perfect on any body shape. It would be impossible for manufacturers to create multiple cuts on garments to make sure the hourglass, pear and straight girls are all accomodated. So ladies, stop blaming your hips, butt and chest for every garment that doesn't fit right. Start placing the blame on that evil piece of fabric whose dart is in an idiotic location and it doesn't hit your beautiful curves in the right place. Amazing how the inanimate object might actually be the issue, not your bone structure.

But I digress: the real point is that there are clothes that are going to be just oh so close to looking phenomenal--if only the straps were shorter, the side seams slightly more form fitting, or the length an 1" shorter. Guess what? This is where your new best friend the neighborhood tailor comes in. For another $10-$20 you can have the perfect piece of tailor made clothing for your body! And, yes the additional $ are worth it--anything that fits you properly is going to make you and your body look its best, and in turn make you feel your best. Are you noticing a pattern here?

Seriously though, if you have never been to a tailor except to get a bridesmaids' dress fitted, please put that traumatic experience out of your head and give them a second a chance.